After
by Page1229
Summary: Sequel to Before. What happened to the gang after the tournament in the Makai? Rated T but might change with later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Do I own anything? Nope.

Chapter 1: Yusuke's retirement

It was about five years after the events in the Makai and Koenma had confirmed Yusuke's termination from Spirit Detective. Now, the half-demon was married and living in an apartment with his beloved Keiko.

The couple waited patiently in the bathroom staring at a white stick on the sink, waiting to see it change color. Keiko was seated on the toilet lid with her husband on the tank holding her.

"Calm down," Yusuke ordered softly. "You're shaking, you need to calm down." He began to rub Keiko's arms up and down to try and soothe her. "It's gonna be okay."

His wife would not look away from the pregnancy test. "I can't," she replied almost in a whisper. "What if it's like last time?"

"It won't be." The man's voice was quiet but still held the weight of a leader. There was no way he was going to let it be like the last time they did this.

Several months ago, the couple had gotten a positive result on a pregnancy test and even had it confirmed by their doctor. But not long after that, Keiko felt some pain and began to bleed around her usual time. The doctor told them she had miscarried. Yusuke held Keiko's hand during the diagnosis; she didn't cry then but as soon as they had returned home, the brunette broke down in her husband's arms. For a while after that, they had stopped the physical part of their relationship. Keiko didn't want to risk another accident and Yusuke didn't want to put Keiko through the pain again. But they took a leap and were now waiting to see what their risk had gotten them.

Five minutes had passed and the results were in. Keiko reached over to the sink cautiously as if the stick was a small snake ready to strike. Yusuke observed how slow his wife was moving and grabbed the test instead without a second thought; he was getting too impatient from all the waiting.

Keiko pulled her hand back when her oldest friend grabbed it. She didn't snap at him like she usually would but instead leaned back on the toilet until her head was in Yusuke's lap. She stared up at the former Spirit Detective who was holding the stick in both hands, examining it like it was a map.

"You know I peed on that right?" she sighed. A few beats passed before Yusuke registered her words and dropped the test with a disgusted expression. Keiko giggled lightly as the stick landed in her lap. "Every time," she sighed.

Picking up the test, Keiko's face fell when she saw the result was negative.

"Keiko?" Yusuke asked when his wife didn't respond. "Blue means negative, doesn't it?"

The woman nodded slowly and stood up, not looking at her husband as she walked out of the bathroom. She tossed the test into the waste basket on the way out.

Yusuke stared at the tiles of the bathroom floor, not sure how to react. Part of him was glad that they did not have the possibility of another miscarriage, but that was only a small part. The rest of him wanted a baby. He didn't want to be a father, well not a whole lot. He just wanted Keiko to be happy and he knew she had wanted a baby since they got married. He wanted to make her happy after all the crap he knew he put her through over the years and now that they had finally settled down and Yusuke was sure he wasn't going anywhere, it seemed cruel that they couldn't even have a kid.

It didn't make sense to Yusuke: nothing was wrong with either one of them, so why was it so damn hard? Was Yusuke finally being punished for all the reckless stuff he did? But didn't saving Ningenkai from Sensui and keeping the peace among the three realms make up for it all? Or was it all some kind of joke that he could never make Keiko happy?

Yusuke shook his head. He refused to believe that kind of bullshit. Then, an idea hit him. Without a second thought, he got up from his perch and walked out of the bathroom. He walked by the living room and saw Keiko sitting on the couch, supposedly watching television but the volume was too low for him to hear and it was on a sitcom made in the '80s. He knew Keiko did not like sitcoms, preferring something more intelligent like documentaries or quiz shows with the occasional soap opera thrown in.

Keiko stared blankly at the screen, her face completely emotionless but Yusuke knew that only meant she was trying not to feel anything, at least for now. Yusuke stood beside her and said, "I'm going to go pick up something to eat, do you want anything?" His wife just shook her head. Yusuke leaned down and kissed the top of her head softly and whispered, "Love you," then left the apartment.

He walked down the sidewalk a few blocks, his destination a target in his mind. On his way, Yusuke passed a preschool that was just letting out. All the little kids left the building with one or both of their guardians holding their hands. Yusuke saw a little girl with long black hair and big brown eyes being escorted by her mother. He couldn't help but smile, thinking a daughter might be fun. The girl's laughter was high-pitched and sweet like a bird call. He imagined a girl very similar to the one in front of him in his head running up to him calling him "daddy." He imagined picking the girl up and tossing her in the air as she giggled and placing her on his shoulders.

Again, Yusuke had to shake his head to clear his thoughts. He needed to get where he was going, no time for daydreaming.

He returned home as fast as he could, holding the new bundle of joy in a blanket. It wiggled around in his arms and he had to stop to readjust the wrappings. "Stop moving around so much," he ordered. Upon hearing his voice, the bundle froze. "Good, now stay like that."

He hurried and got his keys out of his pockets to unlock their door. When he entered the apartment, he saw that his wife hadn't moved from her spot on the couch. Yusuke quietly closed the door so as not to provoke the active being in his arms. He walked into the living room and squirmed behind the couch. Taking Keiko's lack of response as a sign that she didn't know he was home, Yusuke slowly lifted the bundle to the back of the couch beside his wife's head. The bundle came to life and a curious black nose sniffed by her ear. Keiko turned in surprise toward the sound, only to have a small pink tongue flick out of the blankets and lick her nose. Yusuke laughed and stood up from behind the couch, still holding the bundle. The blankets were finally shaken off to reveal a small beagle puppy. Keiko stared at it, unsure of how to react.

"What's wrong, Keiko?" Yusuke chuckled, barely able to hang onto the wiggling pup. Keiko continued to stare even when the pup finally broke free of her husband's grasp and began climbing into her lap.

"Yusuke?" she finally responded. The pup danced on her lap, trying to entice her into playing with it. "Why...?" She couldn't find the words.

Yusuke climbed over the back of the couch to sit next to her. He looked into her brown eyes and said, "I wanted you to be happy. I know you want a kid, Keiko, but that just isn't happening for us right now." Keiko looked down when he said those last words. He cupped her face in his hands and lifted it so she was still looking into his eyes. "I know this isn't going to replace a baby but until we are able to have one, I thought it might do some good to take care of something just as small and warm and shits no matter where it is." Yusuke smiled warmly and Keiko couldn't help but return it with her own.

Keiko looked down at the pup still trying to get her attention and smiled. "It is cute," she conceded. She looked back at her loving husband and said, "Thank you."

"No problem." Then he kissed her gently as the pup whimpered, asking for attention.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Genkai's passing

The old woman was asleep when her final breath passed her lips, making her death peaceful especially compared to her first passing. The night progressed as the ice maiden who had been living with Genkai had no idea of the elder's departure. The next morning, Yukina entered Genkai's room to wake her up for breakfast but realized something was wrong when the old woman didn't respond to Yukina's words. The ice maiden went to her bedside to try and shake the woman but her body was cold to the touch even to one of the Ice World.

"Genkai," the girl pleaded, tears falling from her eyes and crystallizing before they landed in Yukina's lap. "Please wake up." When she said this her words were empty, a hope with no feeling. Tears continued down her face, soft clicks echoing as the gems hit the floor. Her sobs went on for a while; no one else lived at the temple besides Yukina, Genkai, and Yusuke's spirit beast Puu. Puu was in the garden because he was to big to keep in the temple at night, unable to hunt for his own food.

Yukina continued to cry until she felt spirit energy approaching the gate. She heard the phoenix-like spirit beast squawk in greeting to the visitor. "Hello?" she heard a burly voice call. "Anyone here?" The ice maiden wiped her tears and stood, trying to compose herself. She walked to the front of the temple and pulled the doors open. Before her stood a tall young man with orange hair and beady eyes. "Yukina!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Isn't it a beautiful morning? Of course it's always beautiful when I see your pretty face."

Yukina only smiled weakly at the compliment. Kuwabara picked up on her mood immediately. "What's wrong, my love?" He reached out for her small hands and looked into her crimson eyes.

The ice maiden looked up at her admirer, fresh tears clouding her vision. "Oh, Kazuma," she cried as she leaned into his chest. Kuwabara stood there with a light blush on his cheeks before he wrapped his arms around the tiny ice apparition. He felt her body shaking with sobs.

"A beautiful woman like you shouldn't be allowed to feel sad," Kuwabara spoke. He stroked her slightly rough-looking teal hair.

Yukina bit back some of her tears and pulled back slightly to look at the man holding her. Gems hit the hard wood floor as she did, causing them both to look down for a second. "Genkai," she began but another sob choked her from finishing. Kuwabara didn't press her, allowing her to weep into his shirt again.

When she was done, Kuwabara gently ordered, "Show me." He had a bad feeling that almost had him rooted at the entrance, but he needed to know what was troubling his little koorime.

Yukina turned and started walking towards Genkai's room. Kuwabara started to follow but ended up crashing onto the floor. Yukina looked over her shoulder to see the psychic on his back groaning in pain; he had slipped on one of her gems like a marble. She tried to hold back the smile that came to her lips as she reached down to help the clumsy goof but failed. Kuwabara took Yukina's hand as he tried to get back to his feet. He noticed her smile and gave one of his own, glad he had at least given her some happiness.

Still holding his hand to try and make sure he would not slip again, the ice maiden walked down the hall to the old woman's bedroom. Kuwabara felt a chill in the air as they entered, confirming his fear: Genkai had passed away. He stared at the old woman's now vacant form; his eyes began to sting as what he saw sank in. Genkai was one of the most energetic people he had ever known, it seemed wrong to see her lying in bed. Puu's head peeked in through the window. Kuwabara wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a large tear emerge from the spirit beast's eye.

Yukina once again buried herself against Kuwabara, expressing all her grief to him as he held her and silently shed tears of his own.

—

The funeral was simple: Genkai did not have any surviving family so the only people in attendance were her former students and friends. Martial arts masters said their last goodbyes to their old ally and departed. Botan and Koenma both arrived as well to pay their last respects, though Botan did arrive earlier to escort Genkai's soul to the Reikai. Koenma had met with her not long after to sentence her to paradise. Regardless, they both felt the need to say their final farewells. Yusuke and Keiko arrived with Kurama and Shizuru. Yukina had even, amazingly, gotten in contact with Hiei and requested he attend as well. Not wanting to say 'no' to his sister, Hiei was there but a bit more detached from the group. He respected the old woman but did not feel the need to mourn.

"I'm glad you came, Hiei," Yukina said to the fire demon whose only response was a nod.

"Looks like everyone's copying your style, man," Yusuke joked, pointing out everyone was wearing black; even Botan had worn a black kimono as opposed to her usual pink. Hiei rolled his eyes.

As prayers were said everyone seemed to lose a bit of composure. Yusuke held Keiko in his arms as she weeped, Botan blew her nose into a handkerchief, and even Kurama, who was notorious for his poker face, could not help but frown during the ceremony.

The whole gang, minus Hiei and Yukina, walked into the temple. Kuwabara hesitated, looking over his shoulder at the ice maiden who refused to walk away from Genkai's grave.

"Aren't you coming inside, Yukina?" Kuwabara asked, his face etched with concern.

Yukina gave him a small smile and replied, "I will soon, Kazuma. I just need a moment." Kuwabara nodded and walked inside, leaving the two siblings alone.

Hiei was silent as he watched his sister kneel in front of Genkai's grave. His mind went back to Genkai's last words to him: "Yukina is not the child you think she is." The old woman told him these words when Hiei tried to convince Yukina her brother was dead. Yukina had refused to take back her tear stone, telling Hiei to keep it. Hiei had said stone around his neck.

The ice maiden offered a silent prayer and when she lifted her head, Hiei observed her eyes were blood-shot and raw. A small pile of her tears glittered in the sunlight at the base of the fire demon could not help walking over to his sister. He did not say anything but Yukina knew he was behind her.

Silence passed before Yukina finally spoke. "I always told Genkai about my fears and my wishes. I still have nightmares about Tarukane and the tower he kept me in. Every time, I would wake up in a cold sweat and walk over to Genkai's bedroom. She kept a bedroll out next to hers for me. I always felt safe around her. But I feel safe around you too, Hiei." She tilted her head and gave him a timid smile.

Hiei's heart stopped a moment. He panicked internally, wondering if she knew. Genkai's words broke into his head again: "Yukina is not the child you think she is." His sister looked back at the grave and continued, unaware of his slight lapse of sanity.

"Genkai was the one who offered to take me in because I refused to return to Hyouga. I did not want to at first, I did not want to bother her but she insisted that if I continued looking for my brother in the human world then I needed to stay somewhere that would accept me as I am. How many humans would take in a demon?" Yukina placed her hand on Genkai's grave, slipping her fingers into the engravings on the stone. "I told her I would try to help out as much as I could. And do you know what she said? 'Good, now I have someone to clean the bathroom after one of the boys come over.' I thought she was joking at first until Yusuke and Kazuma visited." She shuddered slightly. "But it wasn't so bad; she would teach me new methods of healing and how to use ice in self-defense. And every time I thought I would not find my brother, she would tell me 'the answer is closer than you think.'"

Hiei was not sure where this conversation was going but from what Yukina had said, Genkai had been dropping hints. His sister stood and dusted off her kimono. His face was expressionless as she turned and smiled at him again. The ice maiden began walking up to the temple.

"Wait," the fire demon silently commanded. Yukina looked at him but he said nothing. They stared into each other's crimson eyes, Genkai's words echoing through the brother's head: "Yukina is not the child you think she is." Then an image of a young koorime playing in a forest flashed in his mind. The girl was surrounded by small animals that were drawn to her. It was hard for him to believe that same girl was now the young woman standing in front of him, still as pure as that day he watched her from a tree.

Hiei reached beneath his cloak and took out the hiruseki stone. Before he could remove it, Yukina reached over and grabbed his hand. Her fingers were light but the stiffness of her hand conveyed a small bit of authority.

"I gave you that stone Hiei," her voice was quiet but hard. "I don't want it back. It belongs to my brother." She looked into his eyes. "Where ever he is."

Hiei opened his mouth to speak when Kuwabara reappeared at the door to the temple. "Hey you guys, we are getting ready to eat if you're..." His voice trailed off as he saw Yukina holding Hiei's hand and staring at him intensely. Yukina turned to the suddenly dumbfounded man, smiling.

"We'll be in soon," she assured. She turned to her brother. "Were you about to say something?"

Hiei shook his head and backed up a step from the ice maiden. The girl frowned a little and turned back to the temple. Kuwabara was still standing at the door, contemplating ways to kill the smaller male.

As Yukina began walking up the stone pathway, he could have sworn he heard her mumble, "One day."


End file.
